The retail shopping environment experience is often the deciding factor as to whether a retail customer will purchase a product. For example, the customer may casually browse the store when an item catches the customer's attention. If the customer is familiar with the item and brand through previous research such as consumer ratings, then the customer is likely to make a definitive decision whether or not to purchase the item. For example, the customer's past research may indicate that the item is highly reliable, thereby likely influencing the customer to purchase the item. However, as often happens, the customer is unfamiliar with the item and/or brand. In this case, the customer will have to either (i) ask a sales associate for information about the item, or, if there are no sales associates nearby to assist the customer, the customer will have to (ii) rely on the limited information displayed on the item itself, item box and/or store display. Often, such limited information is not likely to influence the customer to purchase the item. Customers who are assisted by a sales associate are much more likely to buy an item than customers who do not receive assistance. This is because customers often have questions about the item, which are ideally answered in face-to-face communication with a sales associate, who may have expert knowledge of the item and may influence a customer's buying decision. Failing to provide assistance to the customer, while casually shopping, may negatively impact the customer buying experience and may dissuade the customer from purchasing an item.
The most common means used by retailers to create face-to-face assistance for customers is to keep multiple sales associates in different store departments at all times. Unfortunately, this results in high labor costs for the retailer. Another option includes providing a red phone at various locations in the store. A customer can use the red phone to call and request assistance. However, this requires a customer to find a red phone, and requires that a sales assistant be assigned to sit by the phone at all times to answer the phone calls.